Funding currently available for the voluntary sector.

GRANTS – General

Big Lottery Fund’s Silver Dream Fund

Big Lottery Fund’s Silver Dream Fund, in association with the Daily Mail, offers an exciting new opportunity for groups to test out a range of ideas about new ways to support older people, whilst building on the wealth of experience and skills that they have to offer to others, including their families, neighbourhoods, and local communities.

The challenge is to come up with a great idea that will pioneer ways to help vulnerable older people deal more effectively with life-changing events.

Ideas also need to reflect five themes:

· Helping older people to help themselves
· Working with others
· Managing better
· Volunteering
· Testing new ways of working

Our aim is to generate learning about what works so that this can inform our future investments and also the ageing agenda in terms of both practice and policy. We are interested in testing out new ideas or growing/replicating what works in new ways – this is not for just doing more of the same. We will work with a range of selected projects, supporting them with learning and development opportunities and with our funding.

Whilst only voluntary and community groups, registered charities, social enterprises and other not for profit companies will be able to submit ideas directly, partnerships can include private sector and statutory bodies, as we are particularly interested in testing new models of interventions that support older people to manage changes in their lives.

If you value older people as active participants with voices that need to be heard, and who have an important role in to play in seeking solutions for current and future generations, and you want to find out more about this opportunity and how to submit your idea, please visit our website at http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/silverdreams or contact the Big Advice Line on 0845 4 10 20 30. Please note the closing date for the initial submission of ideas is 28 October 2011.

Comic Relief Grants

Comic Relief has announced that its UK grants programmes are now open for applications. Applications are invited from voluntary and community sector organisations throughout the UK to support projects in the areas of:

In addition, Comic Relief operates a programme that supports disadvantaged communities. Comic Relief provides both capital and revenue and can pay for up to 100% of projects costs but they encourage applicants to get some of their funding from other sources. On average grants of between £25,000 and £40,000 are available.

The closing date for the Older People Programme and Sports for Change is 12 noon on the 7th October 2011. For all other programmes the closing date is 12 noon on the 28th October.

Comic Relief has further announced that this funding round is the last under its current funding strategy. The new strategy will launch in Spring 2013 with grant making resuming in the Summer 2013.

The Princes Trust – Initiative for Mature Enterprise / Support for the Over 50s

People over the age of 50 who wish to become self employed or set up their own business can apply for a loan of between £500 and £10,000 through the Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise (PRIME) new loan scheme.

PRIME is a member of the Prince’s Charities group. It was set up on the personal initiative of HRH The Prince of Wales in response to letters he was receiving from people desperate to work but unable to find anyone to employ them – because of their age.

To be eligible applicants need to be over the age of 50; must be either:

o unemployed (not in paid employment),
o facing redundancy within the next six months or be
o self- employed but still in your first year; and
o must be a UK resident for at least three years.

Community First focuses on communities that require additional support based on relatively high levels of deprivation and low levels of social capital. The programme is worth £80m and consists of two elements:

A £30m neighbourhood grant programme available to eligible wards in every Top Tier Local Authority (TTLA). To access funds communities must match the amount they want in time (volunteering) or by raising money.

A £50m programme designed to encourage the development of local endowments to be a long term source of local grants. Through leveraging private sector investment on a two for one match, we expect this to be worth £150 million plus gift aid by 2015.

Community Development Foundation (CDF) will deliver the Community First programme on behalf of Government and will launch the Community First website on 4 October – http://www.cdf.org.uk

Church and Community Fund – Deadline extended

Following its extended deadline, the Church and Community Fund (CCF) will launch a new set of funding priorities, which will replace the current funding guidelines.

Applications under the new priorities will be accepted from 3 January 2012, with the new guidance notes available from the CCF website in mid-December 2011.

The Fund’s new overarching aim is to grow the Church of England and develop its capacity to engage a wider community. The new strategic themes include the following:
Significantly expanding the Church’s engagement with neighbourhood renewal.
Seeking innovative ways of developing established community projects so that they either grow existing, or evolve into, new communities of Christian Faith.
Replicating models of successful community engagement across the wider church.

The quarterly deadline of 30 September has now been extended until the 14 October 2011. For further details visit http://www.ccfund.org.uk

GRANTS – Environmental

The Architectural Heritage Fund – funding for the conservation and regeneration of historic buildings

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is a registered charity that promotes the conservation and regeneration of historic buildings in the UK. Funding is available to voluntary organisations building preservation trusts to regenerate historic buildings to create community and education facilities, workspace and homes.

To be eligible to apply for funding through the AHF, organisations need to be a registered charity and the building(s) must be listed, scheduled as an ancient monument or in a Conservation Area (if in a Conservation Area, it must be of acknowledged historic or architectural importance). The project must also involve a change of ownership and/or a change of use.

Previously funded projects include turning run down historic buildings into community theatres, resource centres, community learning centres, workspaces, places to live and community meeting places.

The Field Studies Council is an independent educational charity committed to raising awareness about the natural world. The Council works through a network of 17 residential and day Centres in the UK providing courses for schools and colleges at all levels in addition to adult Individuals & Families courses, outreach education, training and consultancy.

The Kids Fund aims to bring environmental understanding to disadvantaged young people by attending a course at a Field Studies Council centre. It helps disadvantaged young people to attend a course who may otherwise be excluded due to some form of disadvantage – health, mobility, deprivation or financial.

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About Bev

I am the 'New you Guru' and I help you find out Who the Hell you are. So many of us go through changes in life and we wear many hats, however everyone asks the question 'Who the Hell am I' at some point. I help you recognise the real you and become an authentic human being. Able to deal with everything life throws at you knowing that you know who the hell you are.